The present invention generally pertains to pillow speaker devices. More specifically, the present invention pertains to pillow speaker devices that incorporate multiple interfaces through which control signals may be communicated.
In healthcare institutions, use of pillow speakers has become quite prevalent. Unfortunately for facilities that rely on pillow speakers, a specialized healthcare television is necessary to support pillow speaker implementation. Healthcare televisions currently on the market are generally available only at a higher cost than that associated with off-the-shelf televisions purchased from the average electronics retail store.
Currently, there are at least four major brands of healthcare grade televisions in the industry (RCA, Zenith, Phillips and PDI). These televisions are typically designed to interface through one or more wires with a pillow speaker. Audio information is passed through the wired connection for broadcast over the pillow speaker.
In most cases, a pillow speaker is also configured such that at least some user-initiated control signals may be passed, through the wired connection, from the pillow speaker to the television. In this manner, a user can effectuate certain control preferences (e.g., a changing of the currently displayed channel, turning the television on or off, activating or deactivating closed captioning, etc.). In some cases, certain control signals may be directly acted upon by circuitry contained within the pillow speaker itself (e.g., a change in the current level of volume leads to a direct adjustment of the broadcast from the pillow speaker). Other user-initiated control signals may be transferred, through the wired connection, to some other device or system (e.g., a user might activate a room light or a nurse call system by pressing certain buttons associated with the pillow speaker).
It is not uncommon for wiring inconsistencies to be encountered from one facility to the next. Wiring differences can pose challenges in terms of interfacing with pillow speakers. For a given facility with a relatively unique wiring scheme, pillow speakers may have to be specially customized (e.g., customized with different wiring and/or jumpering internally to adjust to accommodate “in-wall” wiring issues).
It is also worth noting that the four most common brands of healthcare televisions all operate on different power levels. This also poses challenges in terms of interfacing with pillow speakers. In some instances, changes must be made internally within a pillow speaker to accommodate certain power level requirements. If a given facility happens to have more than one brand of healthcare television, they either must stock two different pillow speakers or have the capacity to manually reconfigure pillow speakers (e.g., move jumpers and/or flip-flop a power connector to ensure correct operation with a given television).
It is also worth mentioning that, for many facilities, it is becoming increasingly common to supply rooms with remote controls that are separate from the pillow speaker. For example, many rooms may be supplied with a VCR or DVD player (or a combo unit) that is separate from the television. For each device separate from the television, a separate remote control may be provided. In these cases, the user is expected to keep track of, and know how to operate, the additional remote controls.
It comes without surprise that it is common for non-wired remote controls to become damaged, lost or destroyed. Some accounts are that maintenance workers in some facilities replace between five and twenty remotes per month. The fate of a replaced remote varies but circumstances include being accidentally thrown in the garbage, being wrapped up with sheets and sent to laundry, or being accidentally or intentionally carried off.